Thursday, February 5, 2026-As the long‑shuttered Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt finally reopened this week under a ceasefire arrangement, the first Gazans allowed to return have described an unsettling and stringent security process that’s casting a pall over what should have been a hopeful moment. Only a small number of Palestinians — mostly women, children, and medical evacuees — were permitted back into Gaza after months of isolation, but their stories reveal lengthy interrogations, controlled inspections, and humiliating treatment at checkpoints just inside the territory.
Several returnees recounted being searched and questioned by armed Palestinian militia members allied with Israeli forces before even reaching their homes. These groups, operating alongside Israeli security inside the buffer zone, checked identities, sifted through personal belongings, and subjected travelers to intense questioning about their intentions and affiliations. One woman said that her bags were inspected and interrogators confiscated gifts and essentials, while others spoke of being handcuffed or separated from their party during the process.
This highly controlled screening underscores the fragile and restrictive nature of the Rafah reopening, which was meant to offer a pathway home for displaced Gazans. Instead, many feel the crossing has become yet another site of humiliation and psychological strain amid Gaza’s broader humanitarian crisis. International observers and Palestinian officials have warned that such experiences could deter others hoping to return to their homes, even as thousands remain stranded outside Gaza awaiting clearance.
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